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On this day in history in ....
1926 - Ted Thye defeats Clarence Eklund for the World Light Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio, ending Eklund's third reign.
1937 - Vic Weber defeats Klem Kusek in a tournament final to win the vacant Montana State Middleweight Title in Great Falls, Montana. Eddie Myers vacated the title in January.
1947 - Martino Angelo defeats Danny McShain to win the World Light Heavyweight Title in Hollywood, California. This ended McShain's eighth reign and began Angelo's third.
1955 - Chris Adams was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England.
1955 - Buddy Rogers and Great Scott defeat Stan Holek and Bill Miller for the Midwest Wrestling Association American Tag Team Title in Columbus, Ohio, beginning their third reign.
1956 - Danny McShain defeats Bull Curry for the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Title in Houston, Texas, ending Curry's second reign.
1961 - Pepper Gomez defeats Dan Manoukian to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas, beginning his 11th reign.
1961 - Tito Kopa and Bill Savage defeats Herb Freeman and Nick Kozak defeat Tony Borne & Shag Thomas for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title, ending and beginning each team's second reign.
1965 - Johnny Valentine defeats Dory Funk, Sr. in Lubbock, Texas for the Amarillo NWA North American Heavyweight Title, ending Funk's 14th reign.
1967 - Pedro Morales and Ricky Romero defeat Hard Boiled Haggerty and El Shereef to win the World Wrestling Association World Tag Team Title in Los Angeles, California, ending Haggerty and Shereef's second reign.
1968 - The WWWF held an event at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results:
- Ricky Sexton defeated Mario Froteroli.
- Victor Rivera defeated Wes Hutchings.
- Bull Ramos defeated Smasher Sloan.
- Miguel Perez defeated Angelo Savoldi (subbing for Virgil the Kentucky Butcher).
- Earl Maynard defeated Guillotine Gordon.
- Édouard Carpentier and Dominic DeNucci defeated Luke Graham and Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- Antonio Pugliese defeated Prof. Tanaka by disqualification.
- Hans Mortier defeated WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino by disqualification. Sammartino retained the title.
1970 - Jack Brisco defeats Mr. Saito for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in Orlando, Florida. At the same event, Dante and The Great Mephisto defeat Sailor Art Thomas and Thunderbolt Patterson to win the Florida NWA Southern Tag Team Title.
1971 - Victoria is born in San Bernardino, California.
1972 - Yasu Fuji and Chati Yokouchi defeat Omar Atlas and Danny Little Bear for the Central States NWA North American Tag Team Title in Kansas City, Kansas, to begin their second reign.
1973 - Terry Funk defeats Johnny Valentine to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Title in St. Louis, Missouri.
1978 - Hector Guerrero defeats The Canadian (Roddy Piper) for the NWA Americas Heavyweight Title in Los Angeles, California, ending Piper's fourth reign.
1979 - Giant Baba defeated Abdullah the Butcher for the AJPW PWF Heavyweight Title in Chicago, Illinois, to begin his second reign.
1980 - The Matador (Jerry Stubbs) and Mike Stallings defeat Dennis Condrey and David Schultz in a rematch for the held-up NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title in Knoxville, Tennessee.
1984 - "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich passes away at only 25 years old in a Tokyo, Japan hotel room during a tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling. His cause of death has been widely debated. Ric Flair said in his autobiography that he died from of drug overdose, with Bruiser Brody flushing the drugs before authorities arrived to cover it up. However, David's brother Kevin, World Class referee David Manning, and Gary Hart, on both Big Vision Entertainment and WWE's World Class documentaries, as well as the official autopsy report, say David died of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) due to acute enteritis (swelling of the small intestine), with the enteritis causing an intestinal rupture. David held All Japan's NWA United National Heavyweight Title at the time. In David's memory World Class would hold the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas on May 6, at which Kerry Von Erich won the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair.
1985 - The WWF held an event at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The results were:
- The Tiger defeated Neilson the Newt.
- Brutus Beefcake defeated Special Delivery Jones.
- Dick Murdoch defeated Nick DeCarlo.
- Blackjack Mulligan defeated Goldie Rogers.
- Bob Orton defeated George Wells.
- Hillbilly Jim defeated Moondog Rex.
- The Haiti Kid defeated Sky Low Low.
- WWF Tag Team Champions The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) fought The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff to a double-disqualification to retain the title.
- Jimmy Snuka defeated Roddy Piper via count-out.
1985 - Super Medic I defeats Black Gordman for the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
1990 - "Super Fight", an event co-promoted by rival promotions All-Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, takes place before 63,900 fans at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
- Takayuki Iizuka pinned Osamu Matsuda.
- Naoki Sano and Pegasus Kid defeated Jushin Liger and Akira Nogami, when Sano pinned Nogami.
- Tatsutoshi Goto, Norio Honaga and Hiro Saito defeated Hiroshi Hase, Kantaro Hoshino and Kuniaki Kobayashi, when Goto pinned Hoshino.
- Brad Rheingans pinned Victor Zangiev.
- Steve Williams pinned Salman Hashimikov.
- IWGP World Tag Team Champion Masa Saito defeated AWA World Heavyweight Champion Larry Zbyszko to win the title.
- AJPW Triple Crown Champion Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshiaki Yatsu defeated Osamu Kido and Kengo Kimura, when Tsuruta pinned Kido.
- Tiger Mask (Mistuharu Misawa) and AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champion Genichiro Tenryu defeated George Takano and IWGP World Tag Team Champion Riki Choshu, when Takano got counted out.
- IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader fought AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champion Stan Hansen to a double-countout to retain the title.
- Koji Kitao pinned Bam Bam Bigelow.
- Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi beat Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto, when Inoki pinned Chono. Lou Thesz was the special guest referee for the match.
1990 - The WWWF held an event at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results:
- Hercules defeated The Conquistador (José Rivera).
- The Red Rooster defeated Al Perez by submission.
- Ronnie Garvin defeated The Brooklyn Brawler.
- The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) defeated The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) by disqualification.
- Jim Neidhart defeated Greg Valentine.
- Dusty Rhodes defeated Randy Savage by countout.
- Roddy Piper defeated Rick Rude in a Steel Cage match.
1992 - Kamala defeats Koko B. Ware for the held-up USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning his third reign. At the same event, Brian Christopher defeats Tom Prichard for the USWA Texas Heavyweight Title, ending Prichard's second reign. Christopher would be the last champion, as the USWA stopped using the title, formerly used in World Class Championship Wrestling, later that same year. NWA Southwest revived the title back in Texas in 1998.
1993 - Ric Flair makes his last WWF appearance for nearly nine years, at a WWF event in Dortmund, Germany. WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Flair to retain the title at the show. On the January 25 edition of Monday Night RAW, taped on January 18, Flair lost a match to Mr. Perfect, in which the loser had to leave the WWF. Flair wrestled only on house shows for the next month, mostly working with Hart. This match in Germany was Flair's last match before returning to WCW, and he would not be seen in a WWF ring again until November 2001.
1996 - Abdullah the Butcher defeats Mabel to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title for the fourth time, in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
1996 - Frankie DeFalco defeats Billy Joe Eatin for the Mid-American Wrestling Heavyweight Title in New Berlin, Wisconsin, beginning his second reign.
1996 - Bobby and Woody Lee defeated Los Rudos in Warren, Michigan to become the first Championship Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions.
1997 - The Monday Night Raw takes a break, as WCW Monday Nitro airs unopposed on TNT with a 3.8 rating, slightly up from the previous opposed week. WWF RAW is WAR did not air due to USA Network's coverage of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, with a live RAW airing the following Thursday night. Nitro was live from the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida. The results were:
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko defeated WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Eddie Guerrero by countout, after Syxx distracted Guerrero at ringside.
- The Giant pinned Ron Powers.
- The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) defeated High Voltage (Kaos and Rage), when Scott pinned Rage.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) defeated The Extreme (Ace Darling and Devon Storm).
- WCW World Television Champion Lord Steven Regal fought Rey Misterio, Jr. to a 15-minute time-limit draw to retain the title.
- Kevin Sullivan pinned Maverick Wild.
- Hugh Morrus pinned Alex Wright.
2000 - Zap I and Zap T defeat Carlos (Rieko) Amano and Commando Bolshoi in Tokyo, Japan to win the JWP Tag Team Title.
2001 - At a WWF house show in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hardcore Holly defeats Raven for the WWF Hardcore Title, beginning his fifth reign, only to lose it right back to Raven, beginning Raven's sixth reign.
2001 - Lobo defeats champion Wifebeater and Lord Everett Devoe in a three-way match to win the CZW Ironman Title in Sewell, New Jersey, beginning Lobo's third reign and ending Wifebeater's fourth.
2001 - Ricky Banderas defeats Glamour Boy Shane for the IWA World Heavyweight Title in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
2001 - Shane Eden and James Storm win a tournament in Nashville, Tennessee to win the vacant NWA North American Tag Team Title. The title was vacated in September 2000, when Big Bully Douglas and Air Paris split up.
2002 - Johnny Moss defeats Gary Steele to win the NWA United Kingdom Heavyweight Title in Herne Bay, England.
2003 - Former AWA World, AWA World Tag Team, WWF Intercontinental and WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig dies unexpectedly in a Tampa, Florida hotel prior his appearance on at an event promoted by Jimmy Hart. Autopsy results were revealed a month and a half later, with the cause determined to be an acute cocaine overdose. Hennig was posthoumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, by longtime friend Wade Boggs. Curt's widow, Leonice, accepted the award on his behalf.
2003 - D.J. Skittles defeats Double Dragon in Parkersburg, West Virginia for the NWA Tri-State Television Title, ending Dragon's second reign and beginning Skittles' second reign.
2004 - T.J. Dalton and J.T. Stahr defeat Crazy J and Lotus to win their third Heartland Wrestling Association Tag Team Title in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the same show, Mike Desire defeats Quinten Lee for the HWA Television Title.
2006 - Strikeforce held the MMA promotion's very first event, Shamrock vs. Gracie, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, with 18,265 fans in attendance and nearly a million-dollar gate. The event was headlined by Ken Shamrock's younger brother Frank taking on the latest fighter from the Gracie family, making his debut, Cesar Gracie. Also on the show was WWE $1,000,000 Tough Enough champion Daniel Puder, and future Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nate Diaz. The results were:
- Scott Graham defeated Chris Yee by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:37 of round two.
- Nate Diaz defeated Tony Juarez by TKO at 3:23 of round one.
- Crafton Wallace defeated Ray Routh by knockout (knee) at 0:35 of round two.
- Gilbert Melendez defeated Harris Sarmiento by submission (strikes) at 0:44 of round two.
- Daniel Puder defeated Jesse Fujarczyk by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:54 of round one.
- Brian Ebersole defeated Matt Horwich by unanimous decision after three five-minute rounds.
- Mike Kyle vs. Krzysztof Soszynski resulted in a technical draw at 2:02 of round one, due to an accidental thumb to Krysztof's eye.
- Clay Guida defeated Josh Thomson by unanimous decision after three five-minute rounds, to become the first Strikeforce World Lightweight Champion.
- Cung Le defeated Mike Altman by knockout at 3:51 of round one.
- Frank Shamrock defeated Cesar Gracie by knockout (punch) at 0:21 of round one.
2007 - Hajime Ohara wins his second NWA World Welterweight Title in Osaka, Japan, defeating Super Delfin.
2007 - Fire Blaze defeats Alex Montalvo to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in ManatÃÂ, Puerto Rico. This ended Montalvo's second reign and began Blaze's third.
2007 - Bolo the Red Bulldog defeats Hiram Tua for the IWA World Hardcore Title in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, ending Tua's second reign.
2007 - Adrian Lynch defeats Dysfunction and J-Cash in DePere, Wisconsin to become the first NWA Northeastern Wisconsin Heavyweight Champion.
2007 - NWA Upstate held February Fallout in Henrietta, New York. The results were:
- Cody Deaner defeated Colin Olsen.
- Dewey, Marc Krieger and Chip Stetson defeated NWA Upstate Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Dynasty (Vince Beach, The Czar and Derek Duncum) to win the title.
- 21st Century Fox defeated Synndy.
- Pepper Parks defeated Gabe Saint, Dicky Sanchez, Joe Sloan, Spazz and Sweet Lou in a six-way scramble match.
- Steve Corino and Ricky Landell defeated Sterling James Keenan and Larry Sweeney.
- Will Christenson defeated NWA Upstate Kayfabe Dojo Champion Eric Everlast to win the title.
- JP Black and Rhythm & Booze (Buddy Delmar and Frank The Tank) defeated Van Atlas and NWA Upstate Tag Team Champions The Roadies (Sammy Dunn and Dave Marcos)
- Madden Fisher defeated John McChesney.
- Big Cat vs. Triple X ended in a double-disqualification.
- NWA Upstate Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Olsen and NWA Upstate No Limits Champion Cheech defeated Brodie Lee and Cloudy.
You can write Ryan Martinez at freshprinceofatlanta@gmail.com.
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